Higher Education Administrator Perceptions and Experiences in Predicting and Tracking Retention

AbstractThe problem guiding this study is that many administrators of 4-year colleges do not have efficacious application practices in terms of tracking and predicting student retention. This basic qualitative study was conducted to explore perceptions and experiences of administrators of U.S. 4-year colleges regarding tracking and predicting retention. The conceptual framework was based upon the Attaran analytics model and the three V model. Both involve decision-making perspectives seen frequently in higher education. The research question guided exploration of the perceptions and experiences of higher education administrators of 4-year U.S. colleges in terms of the application of student data for tracking and predicting retention. A basic qualitative design was used with a criteria-based sample consisting of 10 U.S. college administrators who had student data identification or retention initiatives among their responsibilities. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, and qualitative analysis was conducted using a priori, open, and selective coding. Major themes included a need in higher education for common language and processes for data mining, desiloing data, and informed decision-making. This study will contribute to positive social change by increasing higher education administrators’ understanding of efficacious practices to predict retention that ultimately influence college student success and institutional revenue